The Season of the Cherry Blossoms
by Rose Montrose
Summary: Kagome is a shy girl who is abused daily by her father. With only her little brother and her best friends as her only comforts in life, a fateful encounter with a certain silver haired demon turns her world upside down. Follow the story of Kagome as she struggles to survive in her abusive household while her friends struggle to help find a way out.
A/N: So I have been re working this story and trying hard to make a new chapter. I'm still playing this story by ear because I'm not so sure where I want to go with it just yet but bear with me and as always, enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I do not reserve any rights to Inuyasha, Viz Media, Weekly Shounen, Madman Entertainment or any of their respective affiliates.

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Chapter 1

Kagome slowly picked herself up from the cold hard floor of her "room" that is, if you could call it that. It was a bed less room with only a few blankets for a makeshift bed or pallet as some would call it. She sighed as she got onto her feet, her body screaming in protest, though she ignored the pain. Slowly she crept from her room, moving silently towards the bathroom as to not disturb her father. She looked at her reflection with an inaudible sigh as she felt the now dry blood that sat at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes slowly traveled up, groggily registering the cut upon her forehead, wincing as the pad of her fingertip felt it as the cut was tender to the touch. Dry blood caressed the side of her face almost delicately as another cut donned the cheek on the left side of her face. She let out a soft sigh after assessing her wounds from the previous night; every morning was like this for her. She turned on the water only slightly, careful not to make too much noise or waste too much water. It seemed like a luxury as they struggled to pay the bills month by month. The water soon warmed after a few moments and she began cleaning her wounds gently, the warm water easily washing away the crusted blood.

After she was fairly satisfied with her countenance, she began to undress out of the t-shirt and pants she was in with some difficulty due to her aching bones. She took a short shower, letting the warm water roll down her smooth skin, easing the purplish bruises that donned her body which elicited a content sigh from her full, swollen lips. She began to gently wash her aching body and dirty, blood crusted hair albeit with a few occasional winces, before finally getting out. She then towel dried her hair and applied some of her homemade healing ointment since, of course, they couldn't afford actual ointment but she was content with her ointment anyway. She found that she actually had an affinity for herbs and home remedies... one could say it even ran in the family. She then took out a bit of makeup, beginning to hide her bruises and cuts that riddled her face and neck, especially a large angry, red, hand shaped bruise around her neck from being choked no doubt. She took her toothbrush and squeezed out a tiny amount if toothpaste, brushing her white teeth diligently. She valued her hygiene a lot, it helped her feel as though she wasn't in a living hell because her life and home was less than clean. She spit and rinsed her mouth, spitting once more, satisfied with her smile. She then took her hair brush and began working the tangles out of her long raven locks that seemed to cascade down her back in rolling waves. Once her hair was finally smooth and silky, she left the bedroom to dress herself. She looked at the school uniform that she has laid out the night before, slipping on the white button down shirt, red plaid skirt and knee high socks. She tied a matching tie around her neck, slipping on the dark black blazer over it. She also clipped the matching plaid bow in her hair just above her right ear, opting to leave her hair down, it was easier to hide the harder to conceal bruises. She looked at herself in a small, dirty mirror, forcing a small smile onto her face. She had to stay strong, if not for herself... then for her brother.

Slowly, she crept toward her little brother's room to wake him for school. Slowly, she opened the door to his room, barely making any noise on the old floorboards. She smiled when she saw his peaceful, serene sleeping face... she only wished he would only know the peace that he saw in his dreams. She carefully lowered herself onto his mattress, reaching a thin hand to brush the stray hairs from his face. She had given him her mattress since it was the only one they had aside from her "father"'s. It was an old and dusty thing but it was better than the floor. With a bit of reluctance, she reached forward and gently began to shake him awake.

"Souta..." She whispered softly, lightly running her fingers through his hair like he liked it, a small smile forming on her lips. "It's time for school..." She cooed in an almost sing song tone.

The little boy slowly roused, groaning softly as his sapphire eyes fluttered open to see his sister's matching optics, his face lighting up as he slowly sat up. "Is it time for school?" He asked excitedly, the prospect of getting out of the house washing the grogginess from his eyes.

"It is! Hurry up and get ready so I can walk you down. We'd hate to be late." She said, matching his enthusiasm. She realized why she bothered to get up every morning as he bounced up off of his bed with an energetic nod, walking over to the door but before he left to the bathroom, he first turned to look at his sister with a look of slight worry.

"What is it?" Kagome asked quietly as she looked at him curiously, a hint of worry in her eyes as she saw the concern riddling his face. Had she not hidden the signs of last nights fiasco well enough?

"Are..." He looked down with a soft blush on his slightly chubby cheeks. "...Are you ok..?" He asked, slowly bringing his blue optics to meet hers knowingly. He worried for his sister though he tried not to show it. He had to be strong for her! He was a big boy after all.

Kagome's eyes softened and she smiled genuinely... or as genuinely as she was able to. "Of course I am, I'm strong after all~" She flexed her arm a bit, despite the pain it caused, showing off the small amount of muscle. She was incredibly emaciated due her poor diet as she often went hungry so her brother could eat. The boy himself was small but he was healthy and ate enough and he was able to buy snacks from the canteen at school with the secret pocket money she gave him.

Souta was comforted with her show of strength. To him, no one was stronger than his sister, not even his father because even though his always won when things got physical, his sister always persevered without fail. That was the difference between them but he could only hope he'd never see his sister break. He tried not to let his thoughts travel as he left the room to go ash up in the bathroom.

Kagome shook her head, smiling to herself as she made his bed. He was the only one that could make her smile. He was so innocent and pure but also thoughtful and kind... it amazed her given what he grew in. She could only applaud herself as she had practically raised him on her own and apparently she was doing well at it.

Once she finished with his bed, neatly arranging his pillows and favorite stuffed toy, she went to his closet to lay out his school uniform that consisted of a pair of navy blue shorts and a matching navy blue blazer with a white undershirt and a navy blue hat. She also chose some of his favorite Spider-Man underwear and some knee high navy blue socks she found on clearance at a resale shop. She then sighed a bit, picking up his book bag that sat neatly against his cot, going through it to reorganize its contents, checking his homework from the night before.

As she checked his homework, Souta quietly crept into the bathroom and took a small three minute shower, being conscious of the water like his sister had told him. Also if they spent too much time in the shower, their father woke up and that spelled disaster for everyone. Once he finished up, he brushed his teeth and washed his face quickly and diligently, excited to go to school to see his friends. Today was gonna be a good day, he just knew it. He smiled brightly at his reflection before turning off the light and leaving the bathroom, beginning to silently creep towards his room. However, he soon heard the floorboards creak from down the hall and as he turned to see what it was he found a large hand grabbing him ruthlessly by his hair. He squirmed and struggled against the larger male's grip helplessly as he was lifted from his feet but he didn't shed a tear, instead he began to kick at him, screaming in pain as it felt like his hair was being ripped from his scalp.

Kagome was up in an instant, her adrenaline kicking in upon hearing her young brother's screams. Kagome rushed out of the room, not at all surprised to see her father, a tall, sizable man in his mid 40s with a heavy beard and slightly long shaggy onyx hair, with a strong grip on her brother's hair as Souta dangled in the air, his towel falling limply to the ground, leaving the boy naked. It was then that the tears began to fall as Souta peed, a bright red blush coming onto the boy's cheeks as he looked at his sister, his eyes pleading for help.

Her father's dark brown, nearly black eyes met with hers as he smirked, his grip tightening on Souta's hair ruthlessly, eliciting another heartbreaking, shrill cry of pain from the boy.

"Let him go!" Kagome yelled, running up to her father to try and pry his hands from Souta's scalp only to be met with a sharp backhand that caused her to fall back against the ground. She held her cheek and glared up at him from the floor, her gaze blazing.

"If looks could kill..." Her father smirked sadistically, throwing Souta carelessly into her lap with his soft yellow towel. "Get him ready for school and get the hell out of my house." As he turned to leave he slowly turned towards her. "Don't be late." He said, an underlying threat evident in his tone but she found herself unaffected by it as he walked away.

Souta sobbed into Kagome's chest, holding onto her tightly. It truly broke her heart to see him like this but they couldn't stay here any longer, it wasn't safe. So, she gently prompted him to get up and she lead him to his room.

"Don't worry about him Souta..." Kagome said as she sat down on the bed with him in her lap, gently brushing through his hair, careful not to harm his tender scalp. "You're going to go to school like always and you're going to have lots of fun with your friends~" She said as she snuggled him, eliciting a soft giggle from him.

"You're right 'Gome." He smiled, leaning back against her before sitting up, letting her finish his hair as he held his towel close to his body, sniffling softly, using it to wipe his face.

She smiled and lent down to kiss the top of his head before helping him up, holding his underwear down for him to step into. He cooperated energetically leaving Kagome to wonder where he got all of his energy as she pulled his underwear up on him. Since Souta was only in the first grade, he often required some assistance from his sister when it came to dressing. It was in these short lived moments together that they were able to enjoy each others company because neither knew when their peace would be broken next.

After they finished dressing him, Kagome put his hat atop his head lightly before quietly rushing him out of the door for fear their father would return, even going so far as to hold their shoes in their hands until they were safely outside. Once they had walked a bit of a ways down the street, they both let out long sighs of relief, laughing at each other as they did so, finally slipping on their shoes.

"Come on let's get you to school." Kagome said with a gentle smile reserved only for him as she offered him her hand which he gladly took with a bright smile. In this cruel world they could only rely on each other and for them that was more than enough.

"Ok!" Souta said, nearly bouncing up and down at the prospect of school, the morning run in long forgotten and behind them, with only a sore scalp to show for it.

The two siblings began to walk together down the street, enjoying the serene silence that comes with dawn and the fresh morning air. They shared small jokes and simple chatter since they knew that this was quite possibly the only time that they'd be able to. The morning and the afternoon walk back home was the only time that they got to spend together or the occasional time that Kagome was able to get away and help him with his homework or put him to bed.

It wasn't long before they arrived at Souta's school, Fujibayashi Elementary with the other mothers with their children in tow, beginning to pool in as the doors opened. Kagome didn't often get there late no matter the circumstances.

"Ryo!" Souta waved as he spotted his friend who turned and waved back at him enthusiastically.

"Souta!" Ryo replied excitedly in return, a bright smile on his face.

Kagome smiled at the scene and knelt down so she was eye level with Souta, the small boy turning to look at her with a sad expression which puzzled Kagome.

"What's wrong?" She asked gently, lightly resting her hands on his shoulders.

"I don't want you to go 'Gome..." He said softly as he looked down, sniffling a bit.

"Now that won't do." Kagome smiled, gently pinching his cheek. "You have to smile always remember? You can't be sad because then I'm gonna be sad. Do you want me to be sad?" She asked curiously, tilting her head.

Slowly he shook his head albeit begrudgingly. "No..."

"Good because I don't want you to be sad either." She smiled, pulling him into her arms, feeling him throw his arms around her neck. "Remember, we share a special bond that no one can break." She whispered softly.

"Not even Superman." He affirmed as he gave her one last squeeze before pulling away. "I love you 'Gome."

"I love you too Souta. Now get going, you can't be late remember?" She said with a bright smile. Ryo nodded and waved to her as he walked towards the school before turning away, continuing up the path, meeting up with his friend. Slowly, she rose to her feet with her bag in hand, carrying it along with a notepad and a few books with her as she watched him disappear into the school, her smile fading as she began walking up the pathway to her high school, the cherry blossoms in full bloom as she walked. The wind whipped through her raven locks, causing her hair to flow around her in long, rolling waves that annoyingly enough began to get in her face. She hadn't made it far up the path until she heard someone jogging up behind her just as she began to go up the hill.

"Kagome!" A feminine voice called from behind her. Slowly, she turned to see who it was, seeing a beautiful girl with long chocolate brown locks running towards her, a few locks framing her porcelain face. They girl in question had matching chocolate eyes and full pink lips. She wore the same uniform as Kagome with her hair up into a high ponytail with her plaid bow at the top of the ponytail. She had a more curvaceous figure but was also very fit as compared to Kagome's more petite, almost skeletal frame. This beautiful girl was none other than Sango, Kagome's best friend or only friend more rather.

Kagome stopped to wait for the girl patiently, a ghost of a smile gracing her lips as Sango caught up, the two of them heading up the pathway together.

"Hey Kagome!" Sango greeted brightly as she looked over at her quiet friend. She didn't know much about Kagome... she was mysterious and often very quiet.

"Hello." Kagome greeted softly as they walked, earning a satisfied smile from Sango as they continued up the path. Sango cherished any small bit of speech she was able to coax from the girl but with Kagome being as shy and quiet as she was, that made her a good listener and easy to talk to. So, like opening up the flood gates, Sango began to talk and talk.

"You won't believe what I had to go through today. Miroku was peeping on me again so of course I had to teach him a lesson..." She continued on and on as they walked, Kagome listening silently with a few nods here and there as Sango vented out her grievances with her childhood friend Miroku that Kagome was more than convinced she had a crush on. She didn't mind Sango talking her ear off, actually enjoying the company she brought. She was just happy that Sango understood and accepted her as she was and when she did finally speak, she always stopped to listen. It made her wonder if Sango spoke so much because she didn't speak at all.

It wasn't long until they finally reached their school, Shikon Academy, one of the most tolerant and prestigious high schools in the country. Shikon Academy is home to people of all races, species, kinds and professions. It set an example for other schools around the nation that equality is superior to prejudice and it is not a privilege but a right with it being one of the only co-ed schools.

As Kagome and Sango entered the beautiful school, Sango turned towards Kagome. "Hey, do you mind meeting me and a few of my friends at lunch? I'm sure they'd love you. I know you don't like being around new people but it'll be good for you!"

Kagome stopped for a moment to think about it carefully before offering a small nod to her friend if only because she knew she wouldn't accept no for an answer.

"Great! Because between you and me one of the guys is dumber than a sack of hammers." Sango whispered in her ear. "Maybe you can tutor him sometime!" She said as the idea popped into her head.

"Sango..." She said as she gave her a warning look.

"What? It was just a suggestion!" Sango said with a small laugh before turning to leave. "I'll see you later! I gotta head to class! And don't forget about lunch." She said with a wave before walking off.

Kagome waved at her a bit before turning the opposite way to go to her locker, keeping her head low to the ground to avoid eye contact with anyone else. That is, until she inevitably bumped into what seemed to be a brick wall. She gasped in surprise as she fell back onto the ground but her impact never came as her bright sapphire gaze traveled up to meet a beautiful golden amber, finding herself in the strong hold of one very muscular arm. But she couldn't hold back the wince as he touched a tender spot on her side.

She took in the long, silky snow white hair that was braided into one thick, long braid that fell over a broad shoulder and an even broader chest. Her eyes traveled back up to his, looking at his beautifully constructed face that was free of any blemishes and seemed to almost glow with ethereal radiance. He had a cut jawline on a more oval face with a purple crescent moon resting upon his forehead as well as a perfectly shaped nose with two magenta stripes contouring his face and his eyes... they were bright but cold in a way. It took her only a moment to realize she was staring but even more surprisingly, he'd been staring too. She heard a soft sigh escape his lips as he helped her up onto her feet and knelt down, picking up the books that had, unbeknownst to her, fallen to the ground. She watched, frozen in place as his clawed hands gently plucked the books off of the ground. He then stopped and tilted his head to look at her open notebook, only glancing at it before closing it, looking at the name on the cover written in elegant cursive.

"Kagome..." He mumbled, his voice vibrating through the air in a deep baritone. He held the books towards her and she noticed the stripes that wound up his arms as well. "I suggest you express more caution when walking, Kagome." He said, putting a slight emphasis on her name before turning to walk off to class, leaving a dumbfounded Kagome behind.

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A/N: Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed chapter 1! This is my first fanfiction so I hope that your feedback will help me with future chapters. All reviews are welcome, even the not so nice ones and I am working hard to write out the next chapter so bear with me!


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